Pictures of the day: 29 January 2014

Performers dressed in costumes of the Qing Dynasty (AD 1644-1911) rehearse the ancient royal heaven worshiping ceremony for the upcoming Lunar New Year or Spring Festival at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The sacred ceremony is a unique performance to replicate the proceedings carried out in the Qing Dynasty by emperors to pray for peace and prosperity of the nation.Picture: AFP/Getty Images